The Little Mermaid

Under the Caribbean Sea, in the kingdom of Atlantica, the mermaid princess Ariel is fascinated with the human world and collects human artifacts in her grotto despite never having seen it, as her father King Triton, the ruler of Atlantica, forbids all merfolk from surfacing there after Ariel’s mother was killed by a human. With her best friend Flounder, they both visit Scuttle, a northern gannet who gives inaccurate information about humans.

One night, Ariel sees fireworks above the ocean and surfaces to see them better. They come from the ship of Eric, the prince of a nearby island. When a storm arrives, the ship crashes against rocks, forcing all to go for the lifeboats. Ariel rescues Eric, brings him to shore, and sings to him, fleeing before he can regain full consciousness.

Noticing Ariel’s absent-minded behavior, Triton questions his advisor Sebastian the crab, who reveals that she saved a human. Enraged, Triton travels to Ariel’s grotto and demands that she swear to never return to the surface. When she refuses, he destroys her collection of human objects. Ariel is later approached by two moray eels sent by the sea witch Ursula, Triton’s estranged sister and Ariel’s aunt who was banished from Atlantica fifteen years prior.

Ariel makes a deal with Ursula to transform into a human for three days in exchange for her voice, which Ursula will keep in a nautilus shell. Within that time, Ariel must receive “true love’s kiss” to remain human permanently. If Ariel fails, she will transform back into a mermaid and Ursula will claim her soul. After receiving human legs, she swims to the surface with Sebastian and Flounder. In the human world, she is rescued and taken to Eric’s castle. Eric, who has been searching for the woman who saved his life, rushes to meet Ariel. While exploring the castle, Ariel finds Eric’s collection of items he accumulated over his travels. Eric spends time with her poring over his collection.

The next day, Eric takes Ariel sightseeing around the kingdom. Sebastian, who has followed Ariel, discovers that Ursula has rigged the spell to make Ariel forget that she needs to kiss Eric. Along with Scuttle and Flounder, Sebastian takes it upon himself to get the pair to kiss. They are almost successful but are thwarted by Ursula’s eels. Enraged by Ariel’s close success, Ursula turns into a young woman named Vanessa and uses Ariel’s voice to hypnotize Eric. Back in Atlantica, Triton has the kingdom search for Ariel and begins to regret the way he treated her.

The next morning, Ariel and her friends discover that Eric will be announcing his engagement to Vanessa later that day, believing she is the woman who saved him and sang to him on the beach. After Scuttle discovers Ursula’s disguise and alerts her of it, Ariel rushes to the engagement party, confronts Ursula, and breaks the shell. She gains back her voice, and the enchantment on Eric is broken. However, before they can kiss, the sun sets and Ariel transforms back into a mermaid. Reverting to her original form, Ursula drags Ariel back into the ocean.

Wanting to save Ariel, Triton confronts Ursula. However, the deal that she made with Ariel is unbreakable. Triton trades himself for Ariel and is turned to dust by Flotsam and Jetsam before losing his authority over Atlantica, much to her horror. Ursula declares herself the Queen of the Seven Seas and claims Triton’s trident when Eric arrives with a harpoon. Ursula attempts to kill Eric, but Ariel intervenes and attacks Ursula who accidentally kills Flotsam and Jetsam. Enraged, Ursula uses the trident to grow in size.

Ariel and Eric reunite on the surface just before a gigantic Ursula separates them. She then gains full control of the ocean, creating a storm and bringing sunken ships to the surface before Ariel gets on one. Just as Eric is about to be killed, Ariel commandeers a wrecked ship and impales Ursula with its splintered bowsprit. Once Ursula dies, Triton is resurrected; he and Ariel recognize the other’s sacrifice for them.

Ariel returns home, where she is unhappy without Eric. On Sebastian’s advice, Triton transforms Ariel into a human permanently, and she reunites with Eric. As Eric and Ariel are on the beach, the pair decide to travel together, with the blessing of both their parents and the support of people from both their worlds.